Determinants of recognition of TRACES certification as valuable opportunity at the farm level in São Paulo, Brazil

Marcela De Mello Brandão Vinholis,Hildo Meirelles De Souza Filho,Marcelo José Carrer,Fabio Ribas Chaddad

doi:10.1590/0103-6513.146513

Marcela De Mello Brandão Vinholis, Hildo Meirelles De Souza Filho + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/0103-6513.146513

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Abstract

TRACES (Trade Control and Expert System) is a veterinary health network created by the European Union to certify and monitor trade of animal products. This research aims to identify the factors that explain why few Brazilian farmers recognized adoption of the TRACES certification as a valuable opportunity. A farm is required to adopt traceability and a set of associated technologies to obtain certification. A sample of 84 beef cattle farms provided data for the testing of the hypotheses by means of a bivariate logit model. The recognition of the opportunity is positively correlated with previous experience with other quality programs, access to up-to-date information, a more diversified life experience, and active participation in relationship networks.

Highlights

Since the 90s, consumers, in Europe, have attributed great importance to quality and food safety
According to census data for farming in Brazil, the state of São Paulo has the highest proportion of cattle farmers with undergraduate degrees, when compared to other states (Brasil, 2006)
The decision to apply for this certification is voluntary and only few farmers are certified. This certification implies the adoption of traceability and a set of management and operational technologies

Summary

Introduction

Since the 90s, consumers, in Europe, have attributed great importance to quality and food safety. The European Union (EU) has demanded traceability for beef and has created a set of directives for their trade partners (CE 820/97 and 178/2002) as conditions for access to its market These events highlight the close interdependence among different stages of the production chain and the limitations of quality control along the food chain (Hobbs, 2004), as well as have fostered the diffusion of new legal rules and certification systems related to food safety and quality (Fulponi, 2006; Trienekens & Zuurbier, 2008). In 2012, it topped 1.8 million tons of exported beef (Brasil, 2010a) This increase was driven by the depreciation of the Brazilian currency beginning in 1999, as well as by the growing demand for meat on the international market.

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